January 9, 2011
Plate Tectonics by Squirrel– “Ice Age: Continental Drift”
Posted by Evelyn Mervine
My friend Arthur just made my day by sending me a link to the teaser for the 4th installment of the “Ice Age” movie series. This clip is adorable but also completely ridiculous scientifically.
“Ice Age: Continental Drift” Trailer taken from YouTube.
This clip makes me smile and laugh, but I do worry– a little– about young children believing in plate tectonics by sabre-toothed squirrel after watching this movie. I think most children are smart enough to figure out that plate tectonics (which isn’t called continental drift, by the way) doesn’t really happen by squirrel. However, I wonder if there’s any way to talk 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios into including an extra on the DVD or on their movie website that explains how plate tectonics really works. Even just a two or three minute clip– it could even be a cartoon– with a proper scientific explanation would be wonderful. I know that many children watch all of the extras on their favorite movies religiously.
If I wrote a letter and tracked down the contact information for the people in charge of the “Ice Age” movies, would other geologists also write letters and help me with my campaign? Note that I don’t want them to change their script– I just want them to include some educational information as a sort of extra. There is plenty of time for this campaign as the movie is not scheduled to come out until 2012. I’ll get started on my research, but please reply below or send me an email if you’d be willing to support my effort– even if it’s just signing a letter that I write to Fox.
Also, I have a few connections to the entertainment industry through some skeptical friends of mine. I’ll do some networking and try to come up with the best way to reach Fox & Blue Sky Studios, the two organizations in charge of this movie.
Evy, this is a a brilliant idea.They sort of got the Earth structure right though (@ 0:55) except for a couple depths: 660 instead of 720 and 2900 instead of …2171 ?! (where did that come from ?)
Not a professional geologist, but I'll be more than happy to sign or write letters as a geo-loving layperson! You can email me at dhunterauthor at yahoo dot com. Good luck!
I definitely would! We need to get those kids early! Convert them to the geology side! Hehe.
What a fantastic idea!I think all the "bad geology movies" should have some DVD extras talking about how science is adapted for entertainment, fun cartoons about the real science, interviews with real scientists, etc. If you find the addresses of the right people, let me know, and I will join your crusade!
Regarding Scratch at the center of the Earth – its obvious a reference to the controversy surrounding plate tectonics – the Megacricetus rotans hypotheses:http://web.archive.org/web/20071023234559/www.antje-schulte.org/skurril/hamster.htmlHowever, there are books about bad science in movies, unfortunately dealing more with physics and astronomy – geology seems until now underappreciated